Splicing tape feed mechanism

ABSTRACT

A device for feeding splicing tape from a roll and cutting it to length comprises a vacuum-assisted V-grooved guide slot along which the tape is pressed and driven by a similarly shaped drive roller. The groove produces a longitudinal crease in the tape which prevents the tape from rewinding. A cutter arm is actuated by the same power source as the drive roller to cut the tape to predetermined lengths during the intervals between the incremental tape advancement along the groove.

United States Patent McCorkle [451 May 23, 1972 541 SPLICING TAPE FEED MECHANISM FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: David D. McCorkle, Troy, Mich. 730,528 3/1966 Canada l56/506 [73] Assignee: Steredyne, Inc., Troy, Mich. Primal? Examiner BenJ-amin Borchelt [22] Filed; Sept 12 9 9 Assistant Examiner.l. J. Devitt Attorney-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor [2l] App]. No.: 857,345

[ ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl ..l56/506, 156/519 A device for feeding splicing tape from a roll and cutting it to [51] ..B31f5/06, 603d 15/04 length comprises a vacuum-assisted V-grooved guide slot [58] Field of Search 156/505, 506, 502, 5 19, 520, along which the tape is pressed and driven by a similarly 15 521 shaped drive roller. The groove produces a longitudinal crease in the tape which prevents the tape from rewinding. A cutter [56] References Cited arm is actuated by the same power source as the drive roller to cut the tape to predetermined lengths during the intervals UNITED STATES PATENTS between the incremental tape advancement along the groove.

3,434,907 3/ 1969 Philippi et al ..156/505 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented May 23, 1972 FIG.|

FIGZ

INVENTOR DAVID D. Mc CORKLE ATTORNEYS SPLICING TAPE FEED MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the creation of the endless loop of magnetic tape commonly employed in eight track cartridges, the joining of the two ends of the magnetic tape is accomplished by abutting the ends of the tape and overlaying across the joint a short strip of adhesively backed aluminum foil tape.

In the past, the splicing tape has been precut to length, which means that each individual segment of splicing tape (approximately five-eighths inch long) must be separately handled and properly positioned at the time of splicing. This technique requires careful handling, and is undesirably slow and costly for volume production.

It is therefore desirable to use a roll of splicing tape with means for automatically cutting to length, transporting and positioning the splicing tape for the joining operation. Unfortunately, the feeding of splicing tape off of a roll has not been feasible heretofore because the aluminum foil tape wants to immediately coil or rewind as it is fed off the roll, making it practically impossible to control.

Hence, it is the primary object of this invention to provide means for accurately controlling the position and maintaining the flatness of the splicing tape as it is removed from a roll and cut to length and conveyed to the splicing station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view, partially in schematic form, of the splicing tape guiding and cutting mechanism of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrows 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a segment of splicing tape on a portion of the tape guiding block of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the device generally comprises a tape guide block 10, a tape driving roller 12, and a splicing tape roll 14 all mounted on a base 16 (see FIG. 2). Driving roller 12 is fixed for rotation with roller shaft 18, which is in turn rotatably mounted in a bearing 20 in base 16. Splicing tape roll 14 is rotatably mounted on roll shaft 22 in base plate 16, and is spirally wound with a roll of adhesivebacked aluminum foil splicing tape 24.

As is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, tape guide block has an elongated tape guiding groove 26 running along the full length of one face. Driving roller 12 has a similarly contoured groove 28'which snugly fits into and mates with the contour of guide groove 26. Roller 12 is preferably fabricated of a silicone material, so that it will not adhere to the adhesive side of splicing tape 24.

Tape guide block 10 is further provided with a series of vacuum ports 30 spaced along the length of guide groove 26, these ports all communicating with an internal manifold 32 which is connected to a vacuum pump 34 by line 36. The purpose of this vacuum system will be explained below.

Driving roller 12 is powered by an air cylinder 38. A clevis 40 connects the cylinder rod with a connecting arm 42 secured to the other sleeve of one-way clutch 44 on driving roller shaft 18. Clutch 44 is selected and arranged so that it will drive roller 12 only in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, with clockwise relation of connecting arm 42 only causing the outer sleeve of the clutch to freewheel without transmitting any motion to shaft 18.

Air pump 46 provides the source of pressure for air cylinder 38 via lines 48, a control valve 50 being interposed tocontrol the action of the cylinder.

The cutting of the splicing tape 24 is achieved by a cutter arm 52 and cutter blade 54 which are freely pivotally mounted on the upper end of driving roller shaft 18. A tension spring 56 normally holds cutter arm 52 in its withdrawn position, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The cutting stroke of cutter arm 52 (clockwise in FIG. 1) is produced by cutter arm actuator pin 58 fixed to connecting arm 42. Pin 58 strikes the edge of cutter arm 52 at the end of the extension stroke of air cylinder 38, to drive cutter arm 52 toward guide block 10.

Referring to FIG. 1, splicing tape transport shoe 60 is positioned next to the right hand end of the guide block 10. Shoe 60 is provided with a groove of identical contour with tape guiding groove 26 and these grooves are normally directly in line with each other. Shoe 60 is further provided with manifold 64 and vacuum ports 66, also similar to the arrangement within tape guide block 10, these being connected to vacuum pump 34 by connecting lines 68. A source of power 70 causes transport shoe 60 to reciprocate as shown in FIG. 1, for a purpose which will be described below.

Since the particular means employed for reciprocating transport shoe 60 does not form a part of this invention, it has been illustrated only schematically.

Similarly, while a double acting cylinder 38 has been illustrated, the oscillation of connecting arm 42 could be produced by any desired power source and linkage, such devices being well known to those skilled in the art.

OPERATION To initially set the device in operation, splicing tape roll 14 is placed on shaft 22, and the free end of the splicing tape 24 is inserted between driving roller 12 and guide groove 26. Thereafter, reciprocation of air cylinder 38 causes tape 24 to advance from left to right along guide groove 26 of tape guide 10.

The retraction or leftward stroke of the cylinder rod causes connecting arm 42 to drive driving roller 12 in the counterclockwise direction through one-way clutch 44. The stroke of the cylinder rod and the length of connecting arm are selected to produce the desired increment of tape advance, for example, about five-eighths of an inch. The rightward or extension stroke of the cylinder causes connecting arm 42 and the outer sleeve of one-way clutch 44 to rotate in the clockwise direction, but rotation in this direction is not transmitted through the one-way clutch to driving roller shaft 18 and driving roller 12. Thus, the reciprocation of air cylinder 38 causes intermittent unidirectional motion of driving roller 12.

Tape 24 is actually longitudinally creased by the cooperating contours of roller 12 and guide groove 26. The creasing of the tape into a V-shaped cross-section is highly advantageous, since the resulting increase in section modulous of the tape successfully resists its tendency to return to its previously coiled or wound condition. While a V-shaped groove has been illustrated, other shapes could be employed if desired.

Furthermore, the groove 26 functions to maintain a controlled position of the tape, which is important for the subsequent steps of the splicing operation. Vacuum ports 30 aid in retaining tape 24 in guide groove 26. A vacuum of about 7 psig is sufficient to retain the tape without retarding its advance along the groove.

Tape 24 continues to advance from left to right along tape guide 10, and passes from the rightend of guide block 10 into groove 62 in the transport shoe 60. There, vacuum ports 66 similarly aid in retaining the tape in the groove.

The tape is cut to the desired length, as described above, when cutter arm actuating pin 58 strikes cutter arm 52 at the end of the rightward or extension stroke of air cylinder 38. Thus, cutter blade 54 strikes the tape at the end of guide groove 26, and serves it to a predetermined length, such as five-eighths inch. This segment of tape, which is resting in groove 62 of transport shoe 60, is then transported by transport shoe 60 to the splicing station by means of a source of power 70. The means employed for automatically applying splicing tape 24 to the joint to be spliced does not fonn a part of this invention and has therefore not been illustrated. With the return stroke of shoe 60, cylinder 38 once again advances tape 24 along grooves 26 and 62.

Hence, the invention described above eliminates the need to handle individual pre-cut segments of splicing tape, by utilizing an automatic feeding and positioning and cutting mechanism in conjunction with a roll type source of splicing tape. The tendency of the tape to rewind is eliminated by the contouring or creasing of the tape by roller 12 and groove 26.

This invention may be further developed within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, the above specification is illustrative of only a single operative embodiment of this invention, rather than in a strictly limited sense.

I now claim:

1. In a magnetic tape splicing device wherein two ends of magnetic tape are to be joined together by a short strip of adhesive-backed splicing tape, and wherein the splicing tape is fed into the device from a spirally wound rotatably mounted roll, the improved means for feeding and cutting to length and controlling the position of the splicing tape as it is fed off the roll and toward the splicing station which comprises:

a tape guide block fixed to the splicing device adjacent the splicing tape roll and provided with a straight elongated tape guiding groove, said groove having a non-planar contoured face against which the tape bears as it is guided, and further having a first end near said splicing tape roll and a second end remote therefrom;

a tape driving roller rotatably mounted on the splicing device, said roller being so positioned and dimensioned and its edge being so contoured as to snugly fit into and mate with said contoured tape guiding groove near said first end thereof;

roller drive means mounted on said splicing device and comprising a one-way clutch operatively connecting a reciprocating power source with said driving roller, whereby the reciprocation of said power source causes intermittent unidirectional rotation of said driving roller to incrementally advance the splicing tape along said guide groove;

a splicing tape cutter arm pivotally mounted on the splicing device and having a cutting blade secured thereto in such a position as to be engageable with said second end of said guiding groove to sever the splicing tape;

said reciprocating power source causing advancement of said driving roller on one stroke and causing cutter arm actuating means to provide a cutting stroke of said arm on the opposite stroke;

whereby splicing tapes may be initially fed from the splicing tape roll into said first end of said tape guiding groove and inserted between said tape guide block and said tape driving roller, said driving roller thereafter being capable of gripping and advancing said splicing tape along the length of said guiding groove toward said second end thereof, said groove functioning to control the position of said splicing tape and said mating contours of said driving roller and said guiding groove causing said splicing tape to assume a corresponding cross-sectional contour which opposes its tendency to return to its previously coiled condition.

2. The tape splicing device of claim 1 which further comprises a vacuum pump and conduit means operatively connecting said pump to a manifold in said tape guide block, said manifold having outlets spaced along the length of said tape guiding groove, whereby said vacuum assists in retaining the splicing tape in said groove.

3. The tape splicing device of claim 1 which further comprises a splicing tape transporting shoe for carrying the cut length of splicing tape to the point of the splicing operation, said shoe being movably mounted on said splicing device immediately adjacent said second end of said tape guide block and being provided with a similarly contoured tape guiding groove which is axially aligned with said tape guide block groove during the advancement of the splicing tape;

whereby the advancing tape is guided along the aligned grooves in said block and said shoe, and wherein the cutting stroke of said cutting arm produces a predetermined length of splicing tape in said groove of said trans port shoe. 

1. In a magnetic tape splicing device wherein two ends of magnetic tape are to be joined together by a short strip of adhesive-backed splicing tape, and wherein the splicing tape is fed into the device from a spirally wound rotatably mounted roll, the improved means for feeding and cutting to length and controlling the position of the splicing tape as it is fed off the roll and toward the splicing station which comprises: a tape guide block fixed to the splicing device adjacent the splicing tape roll and provided with a straight elongated tape guiding groove, said groove having a non-planar contoured face against which the tape bears as it is guided, and further having a first end near said splicing tape roll and a second end remote therefrom; a tape driving roller rotatably mounted on the splicing device, said roller being so positioned and dimensioned and its edge being so contoured as to snugly fit into and mate with said contoured tape guiding groove near said first end thereof; roller drive means mounted on said splicing device and comprising a one-way clutch operatively connecting a reciprocating power source with said driving roller, whereby the reciprocation of said power source causes intermittent unidirectional rotation of said driving roller to incrementally advance the splicing tape along said guide groove; a splicing tape cutter arm pivotally mounted on the splicing device and having a cutting blade secured thereto in such a position as to be engageable with said second end of said guiding groove to sever the splicing tape; said reciprocating power source causing advancement of said driving roller on one stroke and causing cutter arm actuating means to provide a cutting stroke of said arm on the opposite stroke; whereby splicing tapes may be initially fed from the splicing tape roll into said first end of said tape guiding groove and inserted between said tape guide block and said tape driving roller, said driving roller thereafter being capable of gripping and advancing said splicing tape along the length of said guiding groove toward said second end thereof, said groove functioning to control the position of said splicing tape and said mating contours of said driving roller and said guiding groove causing said splicing tape to assume a corresponding cross-sectional contour which opposes its tendency to return to its previously coiled condition.
 2. The tape splicing device of claim 1 which further comprises a vacuum pump and conduit means operatively connecting said pump to a manifolD in said tape guide block, said manifold having outlets spaced along the length of said tape guiding groove, whereby said vacuum assists in retaining the splicing tape in said groove.
 3. The tape splicing device of claim 1 which further comprises a splicing tape transporting shoe for carrying the cut length of splicing tape to the point of the splicing operation, said shoe being movably mounted on said splicing device immediately adjacent said second end of said tape guide block and being provided with a similarly contoured tape guiding groove which is axially aligned with said tape guide block groove during the advancement of the splicing tape; whereby the advancing tape is guided along the aligned grooves in said block and said shoe, and wherein the cutting stroke of said cutting arm produces a predetermined length of splicing tape in said groove of said transport shoe. 